A professional license is an official certification issued by a government agency, board, or commission that grants an individual legal permission to practice a regulated profession. It verifies that the license holder has met required education, training, and competency standards, ensures adherence to industry regulations, and protects the public by maintaining quality and accountability.
As of 2024, there are over 5 million professionals in the Philippines who are registered and are issued professional licenses by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), according to the Philippine Center for Innovation, Professionalism, Advocacy, and Governance. These professionals are spread across the PRC’s 46 Professional Regulatory Boards (PRBs).
In this blog, we’ll look into the business and public safety risks of hiring workers with unverified professional licenses — and underscore the importance of conducting professional license verifications and background checks, as supported by real-world case studies.
Risks of Hiring Workers with Unverified Professional Licenses
While professional licenses may not be essential in some sectors, hiring unlicensed individuals in regulated fields can pose serious risks. If you’re an employer or HR manager, these are the risks you need to know by now:
Hiring Unqualified Personnel
Employing individuals without verified professional licenses can mean they lack the necessary qualifications or training, which can lead to mistakes, inefficiencies, and poor-quality work. In the long run, this can harm your business’s performance and hinder the achievement of its goals.
Legal and Regulatory Consequences
As an employer, you must know whether your industry legally requires licensed professionals to meet certain standards. Hiring unlicensed workers in critical sectors, such as healthcare and engineering, could expose your business to government fines, penalties, and legal sanctions.
Damage to Business Reputation
When your clients and partners discover about the unverified or fraudulent licenses of your workers, their trust in your business can quickly decline, and negative publicity can spread and soon damage your brand’s image and credibility.
Threats to Public Safety and Well-Being
You have the responsibility as well to prioritize public safety, and hiring unlicensed workers can mean that they lack the critical skills needed for safety-sensitive roles. This can then lead to accidents, injuries, or even loss of life.
Financial Losses
Mistakes caused by your unqualified workers can result in project delays, damages, or even lawsuits. These costs can put a significant strain on your business resources and profitability. Equally, your insurance policies may not cover these losses.
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Case Studies: Why Professional License Verifications Matter
The three real-world case studies below reveal how a lack of proper background checks can lead to serious risks—and why thorough professional license verifications are crucial when hiring professional workers in regulated sectors.
Case 1: Fake Cosmetic Doctor Performing Enhancement Procedures
Background: On July 19, 2024, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Region 7 conducted an entrapment operation in Cebu City, which resulted in the arrest of a 33-year-old woman posing as a cosmetic doctor. She was caught performing a body enhancement procedure inside a hotel room, despite having no medical license or formal training in medicine. Syringes and other materials were confiscated during the operation, thus raising health and safety concerns.
Key Issues: The suspect offered unlicensed “Hiko nose lift” procedures via social media for an attractive price of PHP 7,000. Victims complained about swelling, disfigurement, and the use of unknown substances. Although the suspect claimed to be an “aesthetician,” the NBI found no valid medical credentials. She was even linked to prior fraud cases in Iloilo and Butuan.
Implications: This case clearly demonstrates the dangers of engaging with practitioners amidst unverified professional licenses, especially in the fields of healthcare and cosmetic enhancements. Equally, it underscores the need for strict regulatory enforcement and the conduct of professional license verifications.
Case 2: Unlicensed “Engineer” Behind Incomplete Home Construction
Background: In a Reddit post, a homeowner shared a nightmare about contracting an “engineer” for a house construction project. The contractor presented himself as a licensed civil engineer, complete with a calling card and license number. While the project was worth PHP 6.9 million, it had never been completed even after 1 year and 8 months. When the homeowner inquired, the “engineer” admitted he was still “under board” (i.e., not yet licensed) and was juggling multiple projects.
Key Issues: Beyond the extended delays, the contractor disappeared after collecting payment and failed to respond to follow-up communications. His unlicensed status was confirmed via PCAB license checks, raising serious red flags about his qualifications. The homeowner then filed estafa (fraud) charges due to the contractor’s absence and the project’s incomplete quality.
Implications: This scenario clearly illustrates the risks of hiring unverified professionals, which can include subpar work, wasted funds, legal uncertainty, and no guarantee of remedy. From this, we can emphasize the need for PCAB or PRC professional license verifications and detailed contracts with progress billing.
Case 3: Fake Dentist Offering Orthodontic Services
Background: In June 2022, police arrested a 25-year-old woman during a sting operation at her makeshift clinic in Pangasinan. The suspect had been illegally offering orthodontic services and installing dental braces. For months, she had been advertising her services through Facebook and charging clients PHP 1,500. During the police operation, dental instruments were seized, and it was confirmed that she lacked any registration and professional credentials.
Key Issues: By offering unauthorized dental procedures, the fake dentist risked her clients to serious injuries or infections. Her unregulated services exploited them as they were drawn by the low price. She faced legal charges for practicing dentistry without a license, which could result in fines and imprisonment under R.A. 9484.
Implications: Another case of an unverified processional license in the healthcare and cosmetic enhancement industry, this case highlights the urgent need for stronger enforcement, public awareness about credential verification, and routine background checks to prevent unqualified individuals from harming clients and betraying public trust.
How We Conduct Professional License Verifications
A form of background check, professional license verification, also known as professional qualification check and professional check, is conducted to verify the professional qualifications and license details of a job candidate or subject, usually a physician, accountant, engineer, or teacher, through the database of the professional regulatory body.
In the Philippines, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) is the primary government agency responsible for licensing and regulating the practice of various professions, thus ensuring that professionals meet the required standards to practice their respective fields.
We, at FilePino, conduct professional license verifications in a structured and reliable process. We start by collecting essential documents, including the license number or PRC ID, along with a signed authorization letter. Using the PRC’s Licensure Examination and Registration Information System (LERIS), we verify the license details and compile results in a detailed report, which is then shared with the hiring managers or employers to support their informed hiring decisions. Read the full discussion here.
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FilePino is a trusted leader in background check services in the Philippines. We ensure that our process of conducting professional background checks is legally compliant, straightforward, and efficient.
Ready to hire our background check investigators for a professional check? Set up a consultation with FilePino today! Call us at (02) 8478 5826 (landline) and 0917 892 2337 (mobile) or send an email to info@filepino.com.
